High-style sushi restaurant closes to rethink "confusing" concept

Looks like the naysayers were right. When sushi restaurant Fish & The Knifeopened in February, restaurant industry insiders predicted doom for the concept that blended a sushi restaurant with a nightclub. After all, the argument went, if Katsuya and Raku had failed in Upper Kirby and Midtown with similar concepts, what chance did a restaurant have on Westheimer near Hillcroft?

So it probably won't surprise anyone that Eater Houston found a Yelp review that announced the restaurant would be closing Nov. 30.

Fish and the Knife general manager Bronwyn Noyes confirms that the restaurant will close for "rebranding and remarketing." She says that patrons have found the mix of a nightclub on the weekends and a restaurant during the week "confusing."

Noyes said the team will meet over the next week to determine the space's new direction. Whether or not it continues to serve sushi remains to be seen, but talented opening chef (and former Iron Chef America contestant) Bob Iacovone has "returned to New Orleans."

The news that F&tK will reopen will probably be greeted with skepticism. However, it's worth noting that owner Tony Zheng also owns the property that houses the restaurant, and the restaurant has reported an average of over $100,000 in mixed beverage sales over the last four months. It seems unlikely that Zheng would have spent all that money to acquire and build the space over the course of four years only to give up on it permanently after less than one.